Chapter 27: Emerald vs. Sapphire
If there was ever a chance that the second round of the semi-finals could've had a different match-up, then Paul and Ashley would've had to have directly confronted fate itself to change it. It seemed obvious from the moment they'd received their first Pokémon for their birthdays that Emerald and Sapphire would be battling each other for the right to challenge their Champion sister. They'd started this journey together, now they were going to see who's end was coming first.
After stumbling across Sapphire and Ashley making out, Emerald had naturally been over the moon with joy to hear they were officially a couple now. In fact, Sapphire swore her eardrums hadn't recovered from Emerald nearly shattering them with her loud squeal of adoration. She was still rubbing them now as she and her sister were making their way on to the pitch.
"I knew you two would hook up eventually!" Emerald cried, "It was so obvious from the day you first met that you'd become an item! Oh Ruby's gonna be so happy that like her, you've found love too!"
"Bloody hell, why don't you tell the fucking audience out there while you're at it?" Sapphire grumbled in annoyance.
"Come on Sapph, let her be happy that her twin sister's got a girlfriend." Ashley said with a gentle smile, "It's natural for siblings to be happy their brother or sister's found love."
"I know, but I'd rather she not go squealing about it to everyone for now." Sapphire insisted, "We only just got together after all."
"I understand." Emerald said sympathetically, "You want to just tell everyone when you're ready! I'll keep the news to myself if you want."
Sapphire felt better after that and patted Emerald on the shoulder.
"Thanks Em. So, you enjoyed mine and Ashley's battle, did you?" she added, changing the subject.
The rest of the conversation steered in that direction and before Emerald and Sapphire knew it, they had chatted the entire recuperation period away and it was now time for them to go on the pitch. They had to choose their Pokémon they were going to use for the battle ahead and get out into the stadium. Upon leaving the changing rooms, Sapphire and Ashley shared one last kiss together before the former left. Sapphire's last words to her love were:
"Cheer for me, won't you?"
And so she and Emerald had made their way onto the pitch, taking their positions in the centre of the stadium while the crowd cheered for the twins. Ashley was in the audience cheering for Sapphire of course while Ruby was cheering for both of them to do their best. Paul was watching too, but cheering for nobody. He just wanted to watch and see who Ruby's opponent was going to be after this battle. He wished he could've been battling Sapphire or Ashley for a chance to face Ruby himself but he wasn't sore about it. He'd lost fair and square and that was that. At least he'd get to watch Ruby in action once the finals got underway.
Ruby stared down at her twin sisters as they awaited for the battle to begin. Her face was full of admiration for the duo. It felt like only yesterday when she'd been giving them their first Pokémon as a birthday present. And here they were, in the second round of the semi-finals with one of them just one battle away from entering the Champion Cup! Her heart swelled with pride just thinking about it. She even got her Rotom phone out and set it to record the battle. She wanted to preserve this battle and cherish the memory for years to come.
"I'm so proud of you two. Now you give everyone the greatest battle of the season…" Ruby whispered to herself.
Down on the pitch, Emerald and Sapphire shook hands.
"We all knew it would end this way, so let's make this our best battle yet!" Emerald declared.
"We'll finally settle the score on who's the strongest out of us." Sapphire teased, "After all, we're tied for wins and losses so far."
"I don't care who wins! I'm just glad that my last opponent before the Champion Cup could be you, Sapph!" Emerald said sweetly.
"Same for me." Sapphire said kindly, "I didn't want it to end any other way. Let's make Ruby proud, shall we?"
"Definitely!" Emerald cried.
The twins fist-bumped and took their places as the announcer introduced them to the crowd. They faced each other with the sounds of their names being chanted all around the stadium, both fighting to be heard over one another. Both sisters had quite the fanbase between them and they were ecstatic to see the duo about to face each other. This was a battle nobody wanted to miss and the excitement and anticipation of the crowd was enough to give the former Chairman Rose a solution to his concerns about a future energy crisis for Galar. Even Eternatus itself couldn't match the raw energy that the crowd was generating, and this was just for the last round of the semi-finals! Emerald and Sapphire couldn't begin to imagine how things were gonna go when it was the Champion battle with Ruby.
"Pokémon Trainers: Standby."
The words of the announcer had an electric effect on the twins. Emerald and Sapphire stood to attention and reached for their Pokéballs. They remained still and didn't make a sound as the audience fell silent in preparation for the command to begin.
"Three…two…one…BEGIN!" came the call.
"I know just who to start with!" cried Emerald, "Kerchak, let the fun begin!"
"Elsa, shining time!" Sapphire called in response.
They threw their Pokéballs and out came their first choices. Kerchak the Rillaboom and Elsa the Froslass faced each other and prepared to do battle. Ashley watched with interest. She didn't get to face Elsa as Sapphire hadn't brought her into their fight earlier so she was interested to see what the chilling Froslass could do. Emerald was surprised. She'd expected Sapphire to use Spike first as she always liked to start off with a Toxic Spikes trap to give her trouble. But instead, she was using Elsa first. Sapphire noticed her sister's quizzical stare and she smirked coolly in response.
"What, did you think I'd use my usual tactics against the one person who knows me better than anyone else?" Sapphire snorted, "Besides, we've fought each other on a few occasions so you'll know what my Pokémon can do, so I'm deciding to mix it up a little to keep you on your toes."
"No kidding!" Emerald laughed, "I was expecting Spike to start off but you threw me off with Elsa! Too bad for Kerchak as he's weak to Ice-types so I best switch him out…"
She returned Kerchak to his Pokéball and exchanged it for another one. Funny enough, that was how their last battle together had started with Emerald switching Kerchak out due to a bad match-up. Emerald imagined that like last time, it would end with Kerchak vs. James Pond. For now, she decided to use Percival the Sirfetch'd to go up against Elsa. While his Fighting moves would be useless due to her Ghost typing, he did know a Dark-type attack to make up for that so he could still do the damage. The Fighting Duck Pokémon raised his sword and shield leeks as if he was ready to slay a fearsome dragon. Elsa remained unthreatened, staring ominously at her opponent as she waited for her first command.
"Use Hail!" Sapphire called.
Emerald remembered from last time that Elsa did that, and not just to do extra damage to her Pokémon either. Elsa had the Snow Cloak ability, which boosted its evasiveness when it was hailing. Sapphire was banking on Elsa being too evasive to hit so she could give Percival some trouble. Elsa threw an icy ball of energy into the air and the skies turned dark and grey as it started to hail the moment the ball disappeared into the clouds. Then the ghostly Pokémon started phasing in and out of existence around the arena. Paul pursed his lips with interest.
"It's just like my battle with Ash when I used my own Froslass like that. Let's see if it works for Sapphire…" he murmured thoughtfully.
Emerald tried to keep track of Elsa's movements as she phased in and out and in and out. Percival was wondering in which direction he should start swinging his sword. With Elsa's Snow Cloak ability in action, he wouldn't get a clean hit as easily as before. His eyes darted left and right as Elsa appeared in one direction and then vanished and appeared in another.
"Just my luck to be against an evil spirit!" Percival grumbled.
"Evil? Oh no, I'm nothing of the sort." Elsa purred deviously, "I'm just a Pokémon who is going to give you the battle of a lifetime. You look quite chilled to the bone. Too bad for you…the cold never bothered ME anyway!"
She then appeared in front of Percival, grinning demonically as if she was a monster in a child's nightmare. Percival jumped in shock and before he could recover, Sapphire ordered her ghostly phantom Pokémon to use Psychic. Emerald gasped. She didn't know Elsa could use that move as whenever she'd seen Elsa fight, she hadn't used Psychic. Elsa held up her hands and waves of psychic energy swept over Percival. He winced from the dizzying spell being cast on him, his Fighting type doing him no favours against the Psychic attack. He felt as if his entire body was being turned in multiple directions at once and that he would soon fall apart if he was twisted anymore out of shape. Then Elsa raised her arms and sent the Wild Duck Pokémon flying backwards with a psychic push. Percival hurled away and crashed down on his back just besides Emerald. Emerald knelt down beside him worriedly.
"Are you OK, Percival?" she asked with concern.
Percival got back to his feet, grunting but otherwise looking ready to carry on.
"Ungh…it'll take more than a tricky ghost to fell me, Emerald!" he declared, "Fear not, I can continue the battle!"
"Excellent!" Emerald said enthusiastically, "Then fight back with Throat Chop!"
Percival raised his raised his sword up high, the long leek weapon glowing with dark purple and black energy. He then charged towards Elsa, aiming to hit her with the sword. Throat Chop was a hard hitting Dark-type move so it would definitely do a lot of damage to Elsa if he managed to hit. Unfortunately, Elsa's Snow Cloak ability was still in play thanks to the Hail still falling so she was able to dodge the attack. She disappeared as Percival swiped at her with his sword. Refusing to give up, the Fighting Pokémon kept swiping at his ghostly opponent whenever she reappeared again. Emerald was beginning to feel the pressure of the battle weighing down on her as her knight in white feathers was struggling to land a hit. Snow Cloak really helped in making that tricky Froslass hard to hit, didn't it? Elsa appeared behind Percival again and was about to use Psychic a second time but Emerald was ready for her this time. She ordered Percival to spin around and swing his sword to stop the Psychic attack. It worked for he was still using Throat Chop and thus the dark energy around his sword was able to cancel out the psychic energy heading towards him. Sapphire was impressed with Emerald's quick thinking. She wouldn't have thought of that herself. Once Percival had stopped the Psychic attack, he lunged at Elsa and swiped at her with his sword. At long last, he was able to land a hit on the ice ghost Pokémon. Elsa gasped a hoarse, strangled cry of pain as she was hit by the attack. She fell down onto the ground and coughed heavily. True to its name, Percival's attack had hit her in the throat. Throat Chop had an added effect of stopping Pokémon from using sound-based attacks after it hit but Elsa had no sound-based attacks so that didn't matter. The worst that happened to her is that she couldn't speak for a minute, but that hardly affected her battle prowess in any way.
She got back up from the attack and glowered at Percival, who dared her to come at him again. Emerald was expecting Sapphire to order Elsa to use Psychic again. But instead, she took her by surprise by ordering the Yokai Pokémon to use Ice Beam instead. That was strange, Ice Beam wasn't very effective on Fighting types so why was she using it? Elsa opened her mouth and shot the blisteringly cold energy beam at her opponent. Percival held up his shield to block the hit. The Ice Beam froze his leek shield in an instant, leaving it stuck to his hand so he couldn't put it down if he wanted to. That didn't matter as he simply bashed his sword against it to break the ice. But that ended up playing against him as Elsa was now free to use Psychic on him again while he was distracted, just as Sapphire had planned. Elsa hit Percival again with Psychic, making him feel disoriented and like his whole world was warping around him. He tried to fight it but Elsa's psychic hold was too powerful for him. He cried out as Elsa threw her arms into the air and sent him flying. He went straight up and came straight back down onto the pitch, crying out from the impact. He felt weak and his head was spinning from the attack. Emerald began to worry. This was NOT looking good for her warrior duck Pokémon at all! If she didn't act now, Percival was surely going to take the fall!
Percival forced himself back onto his feet just as Elsa floated in front of him, ready to finish him off. One more Psychic attack would definitely take him out! He looked as if he was going to accept his fate and take the fall as Elsa held out her hands again. But then Emerald had an idea.
"I know! Percival, throw your shield at Elsa!" she cried.
Percival hadn't expected an order like that but he could see what his trainer was planning. It was worth a shot at least. He threw his leek shield at Elsa like a Frisbee. The chunky shield hurled towards the icy Pokémon, only to stop just inches in front of her as she used Psychic to stop it. She smirked and tossed the shield aside…only to scream as Percival suddenly lunged towards her with another Throat Chop attack. The shield toss had only been a distraction and Elsa could only cry out as she was hit by Percival's sword coated in dark energy once more. Elsa's yell of pain died in her throat as she was stricken and she could only fall down onto her back with a strangled rasp as she lost her voice again momentarily. It wouldn't matter if she got it back anyway for she wouldn't have anything to say. The attack had been enough to knock her out and she lay on the grass unconscious while the Hail disappeared and the sun returned to the sky. Emerald cheered excitedly, amazed that despite the odds being stacked against her, she'd managed to win. Sapphire was speechless. She'd been so sure that this match was all her's but no, her sister pulled off a last minute upset! She was so good at this!
"Froslass is unable to battle, Sirfetch'd is the winner!" cried the announcer.
"Ooooh, what an exciting start that was!" Ruby cried excitedly as her Rotom phone continued to record, "Sapph started off strong but Em pulls it out of the hat big time! This is going to be more thrilling that I thought!"
"I really though my girl had it there." Ashley said in amazement, "That sister of her's is full of surprises. I can't wait to see where this goes from here…"
All eyes were on Sapphire as she returned the defeated Elsa and whipped out her next Pokémon.
"Time to go toe-to-toe with our Fighting types!" the blue-haired girl declared, "Matilda, shining time!"
She threw her Pokéball and her powerful Machamp, Matilda, joined Percival on the battlefield. She flexed her four arms, showing off her solid biceps and that she was ready to give someone a clobbering. She looked far more confident and battle hardened than the meek and mild Machop she'd once been. Ashley remembered how Sapphire had traded Matilda to her to get her to evolve into a Machamp. Now she could watch her battle as one. But using Matilda didn't make sense to either Ashley or Emerald. Why use her against Percival when she had far better choices to go up against a Fighting type with. Surely Celestia would've been a better choice? Emerald remembered how her Boltund, Bolt, knew Psychic Fangs. Wouldn't that have made more sense too? Emerald felt nervous. Sapphire clearly had some kind of plan in mind and she had no idea what it was. This was also Emerald's first time ever facing Matilda so she would be less prepared for her than her other Pokémon. She would have to be careful facing this one. Emerald took a moment to mull over her options. While Percival had a super-effective attack in the form of Brave Bird, it wasn't worth the risk as Percival had taken a lot of damage already. The recoil damage might knock him out. Maybe she could whittle Matilda's health down a little? She had just the idea on what to do.
"Use Poison Jab!" Emerald ordered.
Percival's sword glowed purple and he charged towards Matilda with it. Sapphire could see her sister's plan coming from a mile away. She was clearly hoping to poison her Machamp to slowly whittle her health down over time. Too bad for her it was going to blow up in her face! Matilda grunted as Percival jabbed her viciously with his sword. She doubled over and grimaced as her body glowed purple for a moment. Emerald cheered happily. Yes! She was poisoned just as she'd hoped for! But then her excitement turned to fear as Matilda's eyes glowed red and she roared viciously. She looked as if she'd been taken over by some primal state that had reduced her to a bloodthirsty monster. What was happening to her? Then Emerald remembered. Her face turned white with horror from the shock of what she'd realized.
"OH NO!" she squealed, "I totally forgot that Matilda has the Guts ability!"
"That she does!" Sapphire crowed, "Thanks for poisoning her Em! Now Matilda gets a meaty attack boost as a result of you kindly inflicting a status condition on her! I can't believe you forgot about that!"
Emerald couldn't either. She'd literally seen it happen in Sapphire's first Gym Battle back in Turffield! Matilda's Guts ability had activated because Milo's Shiftry had inflicted a burn on her and now it was happening again thanks to Percival poisoning her. Emerald watched helplessly as Matilda struck back with Revenge. With the attack doing extra damage because Matilda had already taken damage and the power boost from Guts, it would be more than enough for Matilda to finish off the weakened Sirfetch'd. Matilda stampeded towards Percival with her four fists all clenched and drawn back for a mighty quadruple punch. Percival raised his shield feebly to try and block the attack but it was useless. It offered him no protection as Matilda slammed all four fists into his shield. The force of the blows threw him off his feet and sent him hurling across the pitch. Emerald screamed and threw herself to the side as Percival nearly crashed into her. He missed and landed safely down on his back a few feet away from the marked area. He skidded to a halt and came to rest in a mound of dirt he'd made. Emerald ran over to him as he lay where he was, only enough energy left in him to say one last thing:
"I have…truly been…bested…be a superior warrior!"
It sounded odd hearing the normally haughty Sirfetch'd admitting he'd been bested by anyone. His eyes closed and he passed out. Emerald stroked him gently while Matilda pounded her chest with triumph and roared, her four fists raised all at once.
"NOBODY CAN MATCH MY STRENGTH!" she bellowed.
"Sirfetch'd is unable to battle! Machamp is the winner!" boomed the announcer.
"Oh dear Em, that was a bad move back there…" Ruby said solemnly, "What will you do to spring back from this setback?"
Paul had watched with fascination in his eyes. Of course Matilda's Guts ability reminded him of his powerful Ursaring that he'd won many battles with in the past. His Ursaring had the same ability and he'd put it to great use. It was ironic how Sapphire's Pokémon seemed similar to his own in a few ways along with her more strategic battle style. It was almost like watching a female and happier version of himself. He was curious to see how Emerald would turn this around, if she could.
Emerald returned Percival to his Pokéball and carefully weighed up her options. Matilda would be much more of a threat now her Guts ability had activated and it would stay activated as long as she was still poisoned. That would at least play in her favour for Matilda would suffer damage from the poison over time but it wouldn't mean anything if she couldn't take Matilda down quick enough. Also Sapphire could just switch her out if Matilda's health got too low or she might have a Full Restore to get rid of the poison. True it would nullify the Guts ability but it'd keep Matilda around for longer to still give Emerald some trouble. She would have to defeat her fast before the four-armed Pokémon's strength could cause her some trouble.
"Good thing for me I brought a Flying-type to the battle!" Emerald crowed confidently, "Misty, let the fun begin!"
She threw the ball and out came Misty the Corviknight, her steel-coated champion of the skies. Misty gave a loud caw and she flapped her wings furiously. Matilda didn't look worried to be up against a Flying-type despite that being one of her weaknesses. Her Guts ability had left her unable to feel fear of anything. All she felt was a desire to smash everything in sight.
"We've got this Misty! Use Drill Peck!" ordered Emerald.
Misty swooped towards Matilda with her beak spinning around and whirring menacingly as she closed in. Many of the audience members winced as Matilda was pecked by the drilling attack. Even from their seats, they had to imagine that really hurt. Matilda barely even acknowledged the pain despite receiving super-effective damage from Misty. After that was done, Sapphire ordered Matilda to use Revenge again. Once again, Matilda was using the full force of her power with both Guts boosting her attack and the fact she'd already received damage from Misty to make this Revenge attack a heavy blow for her opponents. Matilda's body glowed red as she jumped towards her opponent. Her eyes were blazing and her teeth were clenched so hard they nearly cracked. Misty squawked in surprise as this hurling missile of multiple limbs and muscle rocketed towards her. She cried out as Matilda slammed into her with the full force of Revenge. Corviknights only took normal damage from Fighting attacks and had solid defences so Misty was able to survive the initial onslaught but she'd still received far more damage than she should've done. One more hit would take her down easily if Misty wasn't careful. The steel crow Pokémon shook herself off and flapped her wings, taking to the air and circling around Matilda like a vulture waiting to scavenge on something. In reality, she was looking for an opening to exploit on Matilda.
Matilda watched cautiously, her senses alert for even the slightest movement chance that Misty might attack. As soon as Misty was behind Matilda, Emerald ordered her to use Drill Peck again. She was hoping that attacking from behind would let Misty hit Matilda and quickly fly back into the sky before she could retaliate. The Steel/Flying Pokémon homed in on her opponent, her metal feathers glinting in the sunlight to create a truly dazzling looking attack. Matilda heard Misty approaching and just before the avian Pokémon could land her attack, Matilda's top two arms shot out and grabbed her by the rings. They stopped Misty dead in her tracks with her beak just inches in front of Matilda's face, her beak still spinning and whirring. Misty tried desperately to reach further and peck Matilda but her arms held her firmly. She was just too strong for Misty to move while in such an iron grip. Emerald gasped helplessly while Sapphire smiled coolly. Everything was going well for her so far and she was keen to make the most of it.
"Excellent work Matilda! Now use your free hands to use Ice Punch on Misty while you have hold of her!" she commanded.
Matilda obeyed. Her other two arms curled up into fists and icy energy surrounded them. Misty squawked in terror and tried desperately to break free from Matilda's grip but it was useless. She was just too strong for her to escape! Matilda swung both fists up into Misty's stomach with a double Ice Punch. Misty cried out as she was hit by the powerful, chilling punches. Sapphire had of course taught Matilda this attack to deal with her Flying-type weakness. Misty didn't have a weakness to Ice attacks due to her Steel-typing but that didn't mean anything as Matilda's attack had been boosted by Guts so the Ice Punches did more damage than normal. Misty shot straight up and came plummeting straight down, which give Matilda an ample opportunity to use another Ice Punch to knock her aside before she could hit the ground. Misty hurled aside and crashed down in front of Emerald, completely wiped out by the barrage of attacks. Matilda winced as more poison damage kicked in but she otherwise seemed unbothered by it. She flexed her muscles and grunted victoriously at her second win in a row.
"Corviknight is unable to battle! Machamp is the winner!" called the announcer.
The audience was well impressed with what was happening so far. Sapphire had got off to an unlucky start with Elsa taking an early exit but now Matilda seemed to be owning the battle, and all because Emerald accidentally triggered her ability no less! Ruby was finding herself unable to look away as Matilda seemed to look completely unstoppable for the time being. Who knew Guts was such a handy ability that made getting a status condition actually worthwhile for a change? Emerald returned Misty to her Pokéball. She was fast finding the odds stacking up against her. What could she do now? Misty had been her best chance of taking Matilda out! She would just have to rely on her Plan B for now for Misty hadn't been her only Pokémon with a type-advantage over Fighting types that she had on her.
"I hope this works out for you. Marinette, let the fun begin!" Emerald cried, throwing her next Pokéball.
The audience was met with a very comical sight as Marinette came into play. She was a tiny Orbeetle going up against a big, bulky Machamp. If there was ever a truer example of David vs. Goliath in a Pokémon battle, than this was it. Sapphire could see what Emerald was planning. Orbeetle were half-Psychic types so again, Emerald had a type-advantage. But would it be enough? They would soon find out.
"Show them that size isn't everything!" Emerald declared, "Marinette, use Psychic!"
"Miraculous Orbeetle!" cried Marinette as her wing case opened up and the spots on her back began to glow.
She hit Matilda with a wave of psychic energy that swept over her and left her swaying on her feet for a moment. The attack had been powerful and Marinette's high Special Attack had meant the Psychic attack was a meaningful hit, but Matilda hadn't gone down yet. Machamps were Pokémon with decent defences on both sides so she was able to take a hit be it physical or special. Emerald cursed in her mind. She'd hoped it would be a one-hit KO but Matilda was still able to carry on! The four-armed fighter snapped out of her dace and clenched her fists, ready to fight back. At least for Marinette she would be OK against her Fighting attacks as Psychic types weren't affected much by them. But Sapphire had something else up her sleeve.
"Use Stone Edge!" she commanded.
"OH NO!" Emerald shrieked.
That certainly did it. Orbeetle were weak to Rock attacks due to being half-Bug types and Stone Edge was one of the most powerful Rock attacks out there! Marinette wouldn't stand a chance against it! Matilda flexed her muscles as energy balls suddenly appeared all around her and formed into the shape of large rocks. Then she sent the rocks hurling towards Marinette. Desperate to stay in the game, Emerald ordered Marinette to use Psychic to try and stop the Stone Edge from closing in on her. Marinette's wing case opened up again and concentrating hard with all the psychic energy in her body, she was able to stop the rocks from coming in on her. The rocks floated harmlessly in front of Marinette as her psychic hold froze them in place. But Sapphire wasn't going to let her get away with that. She ordered Matilda to use another Stone Edge attack as Marinette had stopped this one. The powered up Machamp sent more rocks hurling towards Marinette. Because she was focused on the first bunch, she couldn't react in time to use Psychic to stop this lot coming towards her. Instead, she used her Psychic powers to try blocking the Stone Edge by throwing the first bunch of rocks in the second Stone Edge's path. It nearly worked. Most of the rocks crashed into each other but Marinette couldn't block all of them. Some rocks got past her defences and landed on top of her. The tiny Bug Pokémon was knocked out the moment just one of the rocks hit her. Emerald could only stare in dismay as her third Pokémon in a row lay unconscious on the grass while Matilda roared in victory again.
"Orbeetle is unable to battle! Machamp is the winner!" boomed the announcer.
"Bloody hell, THREE Pokémon knocked out in a row?!" Ruby gasped, "That's one tough Machamp! I think even Bea's Machamp would struggle to fight against her!"
"That's my girl!" Ashley cheered, "Comin' back strong after a brief setback! Ya could win the whole thing at this rate!"
Emerald returned Marinette to her Pokéball but she didn't bring out another one. Instead, she stood very still with her head hanging and her thoughts spinning wildly in her head. She didn't know what to do. What could she do to stop the sheer power of Matilda? Half of her team had been wiped out effortlessly and she had no Pokémon left with a type-advantage over Fighting types! Kerchak wouldn't be any good as Matilda's Ice Punch was super-effective on Grass types and the other two Pokémon she had left probably wouldn't help much. Sapphire meanwhile had four more Pokémon to use after Matilda. It really was looking pretty hopeless for her. Emerald wondered if she should give up now. There was no way she could possibly win at this rate! Sapphire grew concerned. Why wasn't Emerald sending out another Pokémon? The audience grew worried too, hoping Emerald was alright. Emerald was snapped out of her funk by the announcer growing impatient.
"Emerald Silverlock, please send out another Pokémon or else you will be disqualified from the match." the electronic voice barked directly at her.
"Oh! S-sorry! Sorry, I was just trying to gather my thoughts together!" Emerald yelped sheepishly.
She was still convinced that forfeiting was the best idea, but a part of her rebelled against it. She didn't want Ruby to see her as weak and she didn't want to cheat Sapphire out of the battle that they'd promised each other. She had to carry on even if it meant fighting an impossible battle! But was it really impossible? Emerald considered again. Maybe there might be a chance to win after all. Sighing heavily, Emerald finally drew out her next Pokéball.
"It's risky, but going for broke might pay off…" she murmured, "Slasher, it's up to you to turn this match around!"
She threw her Pokéball and out came Slasher the Golisopod. Ashley's face lit up with excitement upon seeing him. Boy did she remember him from back in the Galar mine when he'd stopped Team Royal from robbing her, Paul and the twins! She was glad to see Slasher in action, and as a Golisopod no less. Sapphire smiled, glad that Emerald wasn't giving up like she'd worried she was going to. She wondered why she'd chosen Slasher. Emerald knew that Matilda could use Stone Edge and that a Bug-type was a bad matchup as a result, even if Slasher was also half-Water type. Maybe Emerald had something else in mind. At least for now, she'd have an easier time against Matilda for Sapphire could see her health was running low. The poison from Percival's Poison Jab was taking its toll and Matilda was looking worn out. It wasn't worth abusing Guts any further if it meant Matilda's health running out. She called Matilda back for a minute and gave her a Full Restore to cure the poison. Now she no longer had a status condition, her Guts ability was gone and she was restored to normal strength. Her eyes returned to normal and her hot-blooded personality softened a little. She shook her head as if she'd snapped out of some kind of hypnosis that she'd been under.
"Whew…I dunno what happened there but I feel much better now." she said brightly.
Emerald felt more relaxed. At least now Matilda wouldn't be as strong as before with her ability no longer activated and Slasher didn't know any attacks that could inflict status conditions so Matilda would never get to use it again. Both opponents were at full health with no abilities to exploit. It was all going to depend on strength to win this battle. Her confidence back, Emerald gave the first command.
"Use First Impression!" she shouted.
Slasher leapt into action, moving at blinding speeds and socking Matilda hard in the gut with his clawed hands. He moved so fast that the audience swore that he looked like he teleported from one end of the arena to the next. Matilda staggered backwards in pain from the attack. Bug attacks weren't very effective against Fighting-types but First Impression still hit very hard regardless so it had been enough to at least wind her momentarily. Once Matilda recovered, Sapphire ordered her to use Stone Edge. The four-armed fighter conjured up a bunch of rocks just like before with Marinette and she threw them towards Slasher. Unfortunately, Stone Edge wasn't a move with perfect accuracy and Emerald had been banking on exploiting that little weakness to win this match. She ordered Slasher to dodge the attack, which he did by leaping to one side while all the rocks hurled by and missed. Ashley was amazed that a water bug as big and bulky as Slasher could be surprisingly agile, especially with those tiny legs. After dodging the Stone Edge, Slasher's next move was to use Liquidation. The giant bug creature summoned balls of water to his clawed hands and ran towards Matilda. He slugged her hard in the gut with his attack, knocking Matilda off her feet. Water attacks did normal damage to Fighting-types so Liquidation at least hit harder than First Impression did. But that wasn't the main reason Emerald had used the attack. She smiled happily as Matilda's body flashed blue for a moment to signify a drop in her stats. As was the usual side-effect of Liquidation, her Defences had dropped. Now Slasher would do more damage than usual when he next hit!
Sapphire hoped to deal with that before Slasher could exploit Matilda's drop in Defence so she ordered her Fighting Pokémon to use another Stone Edge. Matilda sent another bunch of rocks flying towards her opponent but Emerald caught both her and Sapphire on-guard by ordering Slasher to use Drill Run. Slasher spun through the air like a giant drill and just as Emerald hoped for, he smashed through the Stone Edge rocks as they came to him. Sapphire gasped as every rock was broken to pieces by Slasher's Drill Run. Then as he ploughed through the rocks, he landed a clean hit on Matilda and knocked her down to the ground. He'd managed to score a critical hit so he ended up landing a really heavy blow that left Matilda low on health and nearly unable to battle. Slasher was standing on top of her with his foot on her stomach. Seizing the chance to take advantage, Emerald ordered Slasher to use Liquidation again. Slasher tried to but Matilda reached up and caught his hands before he could attack. Slasher and Matilda pushed down on each other, their arms straining from the effort. They both seemed pretty even in terms of physical strength as neither one could gain an advantage. But Sapphire knew what to do. Matilda still had two arms free so she ordered the Fighting Pokémon to hit Slasher with Cross Chop. Matilda's two extra arms formed a cross shape and then lashed out, striking Slasher in the face and throwing him off her so she could now get back to her feet. Cross Chop was a powerful Fighting move with an increased critical hit ratio, but Golisopod were Pokémon that took neutral damage from Fighting moves so it didn't hurt Slasher as much as Sapphire hoped it would. She'd been aiming to get Slasher off Matilda so it didn't matter. With both opponents back on their feet, Slasher and Matilda stared each other down as their trainers gave their commands.
Matilda gave one last shot at using Stone Edge while Slasher used Drill Run once more. The rocks hurled like missiles towards Slasher but he was able to break through them once more with his Drill Run attack. Before he could hit, Sapphire ordered Matilda to try shielding herself by crossing her four arms in front of her. Matilda obeyed, but it barely helped as Slasher slammed into her. The muscular Pokémon was knocked down again…and she stayed there. Slasher threw his arms up with triumph, thrilled that he'd won the battle. The audience was astonished to see that Matilda had finally been defeated. She was looking invincible earlier but now she was down and out of the contest! Even Sapphire couldn't believe what had happened. Paul stared at Slasher from his seat.
"Those two were right to tell me how powerful Golisopod are. I really should train one of my own…" he mused.
"Machamp is unable to battle! Golisopod is the winner!" called the announcer. He sounded surprised to be saying that.
"Whoa, Emerald really turned that one around!" Ruby gasped, "She's trained her Pokémon well! I wonder what'll happen now…"
Sapphire returned Matilda to her Pokéball, smiling graciously at it.
"You were incredible! You've earned a good rest, love." she said kindly, "I must say Em, you keep amazing me!" she said, looking back to her sister, "Here I am having knocked half of your team out effortlessly and you still manage to come back from that! I especially applaud you on the creative way you used Slasher's Drill Run."
"I'll admit it came on the spur of the moment and I'm just glad it worked." Emerald admitted.
"Really? That's even more amazing!" Sapphire laughed, "Well let's see how you handle my good boy here!"
She threw the ball and summoned forth Bolt the Boltund, who barked happily and wagged his tail, glad to have another battle. Emerald frowned, knowing that Slasher was in for a hard time with Bolt. While he did have a Ground attack to deal with Electric types, she thought it wasn't worth using him when she had a better option to deal with Bolt. She returned the powerful Golisopod to his Pokéball and exchanged him for her own powerful Electric Pokémon. She'd chosen Thor the Raichu, who looked just as happy as Bolt was to be in battle again. He grinned eagerly, keen to get started.
"Maybe I'll get to win a fight this time round." he said hopefully.
Sapphire frowned. So it was Electric type vs. Electric type for this match, which wasn't good as Electric types weren't very effective against each other. At least she had a counter for that, but she doubted it would work as Emerald no doubt had the same counter. She was proven correct seconds later as Emerald command Thor to use Dig. Thor jumped into the air and plunged straight down into the ground, his stubby hands tearing through the grass and dirt effortlessly. He disappeared down underground, leaving Bolt wondering where he was going to be. Sapphire ordered Bolt to use Dig as well just to avoid it. The electric canine dug down into the ground just as Thor did, leaving the pitch empty with both opponents underground. Everyone watched curiously to see what was about to happen. With Thor and Bolt both digging away, anything could happen at this point. Emerald and Sapphire had no way of telling what was going on down there. How were they to know if their opponents were right in front of each other or ten feet away in opposite directions? Emerald decided to try something.
"Thor! If you can hear me down there, use Brick Break the moment you run into Bolt!" she cried.
All she could do now was wait for something to happen. A tense moment passed where both Emerald and Sapphire could only wonder what was happening underground. Then finally, something happened. The ground burst open in a shower of grass and dirt as Bolt shot up like a missile launching out of its hidden bunker and gave a yelp as he sailed through the air. Sapphire was speechless. What on Earth did Thor do to send Bolt skyrocketing like that?! Then she remembered what Emerald had commanded earlier. So Thor must've heard her after all despite being underground. How amazing! Thor jumped out of the hole and danced about happily as Bolt crashed down on the ground, grunting from the impact.
"Aw yeah! That's what I call a Brick Break!" he crowed, "I had no idea I had that kind of strength in me…"
Emerald was impressed too. She hadn't expected Thor to actually use Brick Break so hard that Bolt would shoot out of the ground like that! Bolt picked himself up and shook himself off to regain his senses. Sapphire decided to do something about Thor's strength so he couldn't pull that off again. She ordered Bolt to use Charm to lower his Attack. Bolt made a cute face at Thor and he found himself awed at the lightning hound, his body flashing blue to signify his drop in Attack. Emerald remembered when Bolt had used that move on Tybo back during her last battle with Sapphire. She wasn't going to let a lowered Attack stat bother Thor now! She ordered her powerful Raichu to use Dig again. Thor dug down into the ground again but this time, Sapphire didn't tell Bolt to use Dig as well. What would be the point when it didn't work the last time? Instead, she decided to rely on Bolt's agility to see if he could avoid it. Bolt listened intently for Thor as he lurked underground, waiting for the moment to strike. He felt the ground shudder just underneath his paws and he jumped to one side as Thor erupted from underneath. He shot straight up but missed Bolt entirely as he dodged. That didn't stop Emerald from improvising once again as she ordered Thor to use Quick Attack. Thor obeyed and slammed into Bolt, moving so fast that the electric dog didn't see him move. He grunted from the impact and staggered to one side, nearly falling over. He recovered and Sapphire ordered him to use Psychic Fangs in response. Growling menacingly, Bolt leapt towards Thor with his fangs glowing with psychic energy. Emerald had an idea on how to deal with that.
"Use your tail to close Bolt's mouth!" she cried.
Thor's long tail shot forward and wrapped around Bolt's mouth. Bolt yelped as he found himself suddenly unable to open his jaws as Thor's tail wrapped it shut. He pulled desperately, trying to get free but Thor's tail was wrapped around tight. He couldn't get free. While Thor had him trapped, Emerald took advantage of this by ordering him to use Brick Break again. Thor raised his arm and swung it straight down on Bolt's head. The resulting blow was enough to knock him clean out, the lightning hound slumping on the grass in a daze as he passed out. Sapphire stared in amazement at what had happened. She had no idea that Raichu could be so strong. Paul had watched the whole fight wondering how things would go if Thor had gone up against Ash's Pikachu. THAT would've been an interesting match to watch!
"Boltund is unable to battle! Raichu is the winner!" boomed the announcer.
"That Emerald's really something." Ruby said with adoration, "She maybe the ditzy one out of us three but she's proving to be quite clever on the battlefield. Looks like this won't be an easy win for Sapphire after all…"
Sapphire returned Bolt to his Pokéball and threw out her next one. This time, she'd chosen Zao the Obstagoon. The badger-like Pokémon grinned manically as if this match was some kind of game for him rather than a new battle to take part in. Emerald remembered Zao from her last battle with Sapphire. He was tricky, especially with his Obstruct move so she'd have to be careful when facing him. Ruby stared with interest as Zao entered into the battle. So Sapphire had an Obstagoon of her own? She couldn't wait to see how this one performed.
The battle began with Zao making the first move. He sprinted towards Thor with a Night Slash attack ready to use. His hand was coated in dark energy and he raised it up high to swipe at Thor. Emerald reacted by ordering Thor to use Brick Break at the same time. Both Pokémon ran towards each other and landed their attacks both at once. Their hands made contact and both Pokémon were left pushing against each other as energy built up between them. As Fighting-types were super-effective against Dark-types, Thor's attack won out in the end and Zao was sent skidding backwards as the energy exploded between them, the force more powerful against him than against Thor. Thor landed back safely, barely fazed while Zao felt the worst of it. He was far from down though. He brushed himself off and Sapphire ordered him to use Seed Bomb. She decided that a ranged attack would be the best option for now. Zao sent a bunch of exploding seeds towards Thor and was able to successfully land an attack. Thor winced as the seeds rained down and exploded around him. It wasn't a super-effective hit but it still did the damage as Obstagoons have very high Attack and Raichu weren't the best in terms of Defence. Thor staggered back after the attack but he was still able to battle. Emerald decided she too would use a ranged attack so she ordered Thor to use Thunderbolt. Thor aimed with his tail and zapped Zao with a sizzling hot Thunderbolt attack. As Obstagoons didn't have good Special Defence, the Thunderbolt was able to do a lot of damage to him and he was left grimacing from the painful attack. The crowd was getting more excited by the minute. The two Pokémon seemed evenly matched for now. It could be anyone's win here!
Zao shook off his earlier attack and he ran towards Thor with another Night Slash attack. Sapphire was hoping that she could land a critical hit and bring the match to an end. But that didn't happen as Thor dodged the Night Slash by digging underground. Zao blinked as if he couldn't believe he'd missed. He looked around for any signs of his opponent so he could avoid being hit by Dig. Thor emerged from behind, shooting up from underground and sailing towards Zao with a Brick Break attack aimed and ready to take him down. Just in time, Sapphire ordered Zao to turn around and use Obstruct to block the attack. Zao just managed to do so, forming a protective barrier around him as Thor was about to karate chop him on the head. But it seemed Emerald had expected that move for at the very last second, she ordered Thor to use his tail to spring off the barrier and propel him behind Zao. Thor held out his tail and used it to push himself off of Zao's barrier and land behind him. Then he spun around and walloped him in the back with his Brick Break. Despite Thor's small size, Zao yelped, feeling as if his spin was about to snap in two from the hit. His health had been lowered significantly by Thor's Thunderbolt and he had a double-weakness to Fighting-types so the attack was enough to bring him down. Zao collapsed onto the grass, mumbling dazedly to himself.
"Ooooh, that's what I call a spine-crushing defeat…" he mumbled as he passed out.
5+ SPINE-CRUSHING DEFEAT
"Obstagoon is unable to battle! Raichu is the winner!" cried the announcer.
The crowd cheered. This battle was well and truly looking even now. Both Emerald and Sapphire had taken half of the other's team out in a row and now Sapphire was down to two Pokémon while Emerald had three left! But it would soon even out for Sapphire knew how to deal with Thor once and for all. She returned Zao to his Pokéball and exchanged it for her fifth Pokéball.
"That's a very well-trained Raichu you have." Sapphire complimented, "I especially love how you get him to use his tail to his advantage. But Thor's winning streak is over. Celestia, shining time!"
She threw the ball and out came her beautiful and beloved Rapidash, Celestia, once more. Emerald beamed upon seeing her again. She adored Celestia and had hoped she'd get a chance to battle her again. It was going to be interesting to see how Thor would handle the psychic horse.
Emerald was keen to get the first hit in by ordering Thor to use Thunderbolt on Celestia. Thor obeyed, zapping his equine opponent with a terrific electrical attack. Celestia winced from the attack but was otherwise fine, shaking it off like it was nothing. Celestia's response was an attack that would definitely hurt Thor more than his attack had hurt her. Sapphire ordered the Psychic/Fairy type Pokémon to use High Horsepower. Emerald knew that would be it for Thor as High Horsepower was a powerful Ground attack that he wouldn't be able to withstand. She tried to order Thor to use Dig to avoid the attack but Celestia came in much too fast. Thor was just starting to dig into the ground when she stampeded into him. The unicorn like Pokémon whisked Thor clean off his feet and threw him backwards with her attack. Thor landed beside Emerald, completely wiped out and moaning dopily, unsure which way was up anymore.
"Ooooh, am I on Asgard yet?" he slurred stupidly.
"Raichu is unable to battle, Rapidash is the winner!" boomed the announcer.
"Heh, I always say never to underestimate the pretty ones." Ashley chuckled, "That Rapidash really packs a punch!"
Everyone watched as Emerald returned Thor to his Pokéball. It almost seemed a shame to see him go as he'd been such a good Pokémon and had performed marvellously throughout the match. He was much a star of the show as Matilda had been earlier. Now both twins were down to two Pokémon each. Emerald decided now was a good time to bring Slasher back into action. He had the raw strength necessary to make it possible to beat Celestia and would give Sapphire's last Pokémon, unquestionably James Pond, a tough time as no attack he knew would be super-effective against Slasher. The Bug/Water Pokémon sliced at the air with his claws, clearly happy to be back in the battle again. Celestia pawed at the ground with her hooves, refusing to be intimidated.
"Use First Impression!" Emerald cried.
As he'd been recalled earlier, Slasher was able to use his signature move again, which helped against Celestia. Although she lacked the Bug-type weakness that Psychic-types usually had, it didn't stop First Impression from being a hard hitting move on Celestia. Slasher rushed in and walloped her hard with his huge arms, knocking the majestic Pokémon down onto her side. Celestia grimaced, really feeling the pain from that attack. She managed to push herself back onto her hooves and Sapphire responded by ordering her to use Psycho Cut. She didn't want to waste time setting up Psychic Terrain and felt it would help to just attack. Celestia galloped towards her opponent and slashed at him with her horn. The psychic energy around it left Slasher grimacing and feeling a lot of pain from the blow but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He retaliated by using Liquidation. Emerald thought that going for same-type attacks could pack more of a wallop and give Slasher an edge in this battle. Slasher walloped Celestia with his arms, which were covered in water, and knocked her aside. Celestia almost collapsed but she managed to keep herself standing and was able to retaliate with by using Dazzling Gleam. Sapphire wondered if a Special Attack would do better than a physical one so she was giving that a try. It worked too for Golisopod have lower Special Defence compared to their Defence so Dazzling Gleam hurt him a little more than Psycho Cut did. But Slasher still wasn't down yet. Both opponents were low on health and about ready to faint. The next attacks launched would be the ones to decide who ultimately triumphed in this battle.
Slasher used one last Liquidation while Celestia used one last Psycho Cut. Both opponents charged towards each other, yelling loudly as they closed in. Then they struck out and both landed their attacks at the same time. The resulting clash created a cloud of smoke that blanketed the arena and left the audience unable to see anything. Emerald and Sapphire shielded their eyes and coughed as the smoke whooshed over them. They had no idea who had won the battle. The smoke soon cleared, revealing…no winner whatsoever. Both Slasher and Celestia were lying unconscious on the ground! Everyone gasped. It had been a while since they'd seen a tie here at Wyndon Stadium. What a turnout that had been! Nobody was more speechless than Emerald and Sapphire. They really hadn't expected it to end like this!
"Both Golisopod and Rapidash are unable to battle!" boomed the announcer.
"Holy galoshes! Did YOU see that coming, Sapph?!" Emerald exclaimed.
"No, of course not!" Sapphire cried, "I really thought only one of them was going to pull off a win here! Still, we're down to one Pokémon each, and let's face it…we all knew it would end like this." she said, returning Celestia to her ball.
"I wouldn't want it to end any other way." Emerald agreed, returning Slasher to his ball, "What better ending for us than with our very first Pokémon?"
"It started with them, so it should end with them." Sapphire concurred.
The twins drew out their last Pokéballs and smiled affectionately. Both took a moment to reflect on just how far they'd come. It had started with them receiving a Grookey and a Sobble respectively, and now both were here, fully evolved, in a battle that would determine who was going to enter the Champion Cup. It felt right that this would be how it all ended for them. Ruby held her breath as her sisters summoned their last Pokémon.
"Kerchak, let the fun begin!"
"James Pond, shining time!"
The grassy gorilla and the watery chameleon made their grand entrance, both staring each other down as they prepared to have the battle of a lifetime. This was the battle that would finally determine who was the strongest out of them both. The record between them was one win each and a draw, so it was time to settle the score once and for all.
After Kerchak and James were summoned, Emerald and Sapphire returned them both to their balls. Their Dynamax bands activated and the Dynamax process went underway once more. It would be the first time Kerchak and James fought each other while Dynamaxed. The Pokéballs grew in size and the twins threw them. Out came their Pokémon and the twins watched with excitement as Kerchak and James grew to towering heights, looking like true titans of the arena with their giant sizes. Both of them roared with anticipation, feeling the Dynamax energy coursing through their bodies. They felt incredible like this.
"Alright, this is it! It's now or never Kerchak! Let's wrap this up with Max Overgrowth!" Emerald cried excitedly.
Kerchak banged on his drum and fired a bunch of giant seeds towards James.
"We're not letting you win that easily!" Sapphire declared, "Use Max Guard!"
James held out his hands and conjured up a giant force field that blocked the attack. Kerchak watched with annoyance as his Max Overgrowth just harmlessly hit the force field and broke away into pieces. That wasn't a good start for him. James then fought back by using Max Hailstorm. James pointed at the sky with his finger as if he was trying to conduct a band and out of nowhere, giant hailstones began to fall down over Kerchak. Emerald knew that would happen as James knew Ice Beam, so of course he could use a Max Ice attack! But luckily, she remembered a useful tactic she'd picked up from her battle with Paul and put it to use now. Upon receiving the order, Kerchak held up his drum over his head and let it take the hail for him. The icy stones crashed down against it but the drum held firm, protecting him from the hail. Sapphire cursed herself for not expecting that. She should've seen that coming! Now Kerchak had shielded himself from the attack, he was able to fight back by using another Max Overgrowth. This time, his attack was successful and James winced as giant mushrooms and grass grew around him, sapping away some of his energy. The attack had done the damage but James wasn't down yet. Shaking himself off, he retaliated by using another Max Hailstorm. Kerchak held up his drum to block the attack again but James had other ideas. He used Max Geyser just as Kerchak held up the drum. The single jet of water was enough to shoot the drum out of his hands, leaving him wide open to the falling hail. The drum crashed down behind Kerchak, making the stadium shake and Emerald and Sapphire both fell over at the same time. Kerchak winced as the hail fell on top of him, each one feeling like a tiny bomb dropping on him and chilling him to the bone.
Both opponents were equal now with each having landed a successful attack on the other. The next moves made could make all the difference and bring the battle to a titanic close. The twins picked themselves up and looked over at their Pokémon. Both looked ready to carry on, so they continued. Emerald ordered Kerchak to use another Max Overgrowth on James. Sapphire shot back by ordering James to use Max Hailstorm again. Both opponents were able to launch their attacks and they simultaneously cried out as they were hit by the respective attacks. Giant mushrooms sapped away James's strength and shards of ice fell down on top of Kerchak to eat away at his health. The attacks had hit home and both were feeling the fatigue of the battle as the Rillaboom and Inteleon were struggling to keep standing. Then suddenly, the Dynamax energy in them dissipated and Emerald and Sapphire watched open-mouthed as both their Pokémon returned to their normal sizes. The Dynamax was gone and it was just Kerchak and James as they were. But could they carry on fighting as they were now? They panted heavily, suggesting that they were at the end of their strength. Everyone stared intently at the arena. The end was coming and they knew it. Ruby leaned further in her chair, her own heart pounding as the suspense built up. Paul and Ashley watched with baited breath, just as keen to see what was going to happen as everyone else was.
An age seemed to pass until eventually…it was all over. One Pokémon collapsed onto the ground. One Pokémon remained standing, but only just. He fell down on one knee but was able to get up again. The other Pokémon stayed down and didn't move again. Emerald and Sapphire gasped, Ruby jumped out of her seat with her jaw hanging open and Paul and Ashley stared in amazement. The crowd fell silent as the announcer declared the result:
"Inteleon is unable to battle! Rillaboom is the winner!" he declared, "The winner of the semi-final battles is Emerald Silverlock from Postwick Town and she progresses to the Champion Cup!"
The cheering began, everyone congratulation both Emerald and Sapphire on a well fought match and for a spectacular win on Emerald's behalf. Emerald stood still, her hands over her mouth in utter astonishment. Sapphire stared at the fallen James Pond, gutted that she'd lost. She'd fought so hard but Emerald had won in the end! It was a shame she'd lost, but at the same time, she felt happy that Emerald had proven a worthy winner. Training with her and fighting all those Gym Leaders and Paul had made her a strong trainer worthy of the Champion Cup. She returned James to his Pokéball, smiling softly.
"Thank you James, for everything." Sapphire said kindly.
She and Emerald both ran into the centre of the arena and embraced each other. Emerald was in tears, overwhelmed by the victory she'd achieved today.
"OHMIGOSH, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I WON! I REALLY WON!" Emerald squealed, "I didn't think I'd ever get this far!"
"You did it Em, and you were amazing out there!" Sapphire cried, "You're quite a trainer!"
"So are you!" Emerald complimented, "You gave me the battle of my life out there! Oh Sapph, thank you for such an amazing battle!"
"You too! That was the best battle ever!" Sapphire hollered, "Good luck in the Champion Cup! I bet you'll be facing Ruby in no time at all!"
Funny enough, the twins ended up being joined by Ruby as she leapt down from the audience seats and sprinted onto the pitch towards them. The silver-haired teen threw herself into her sister's arms and embraced them tightly. She was crying too, her face a true mask of unrivalled joy. She hadn't looked this happy since she became the Champion last year.
"You were amazing, both of you!" Ruby shrieked excitedly, "Oh Arceus, I thought my heart was gonna stop with how exciting that match got! You've both come such a long way and become amazing Pokémon trainers! I'm so proud of you both!"
The sisters all hugged each other, earning a chorus of awes from the audience. It was so sweet to see them all like this together. The cameras even focused on the trio to give the viewers at home a good view. Two of those viewers happened to be Annie and Michael, who had been watching the whole match at home and they beamed happily at the sight of their daughters all hugging each other on the pitch right now.
The semi-finals were over and Emerald was the Gym Challenger who was going to have a chance at facing Ruby. From one sister to another, Emerald knew that she was in for another amazing battle and she couldn't wait to get started…
And so Emerald wins the semi-finals and it will be here moving on up to the Champion Tournament for a chance to battle Ruby! Who will emerge victorious between the Champion and her sister? Before we get to that, the two sisters are going to have a little "Champion Talk" before the match...